In known connectors having a lever, mating with a mating connector is started in a state in which the lever is rotated to an unmated position. The connector is then inserted into the mating connector and the lever is rotated to a mated position in which the mating connector is mated with the connector. The rotation of the lever draws the mating connector into the mated position with the connector.
In known connectors having the lever, a lock is provided so as to maintain the mated position of the lever. The connector further has a stopper preventing the lever from rotating past the mated position; the lever abuts the stopper when the lever slightly passes through a position at which the lever is locked by the lock. A slight play is provided between the lock and the stopper. When the connector is used in an application subject to vibration, the lever located at the mated position rattles between the lock and the stopper, leading to the creation of abnormal noise.
In Japanese Patent Application No. 2013-26154A, a connector having a lever is disclosed which has a structure suppressing the creation of noise by suppressing the aforementioned rattling. The connector of JP 2013-26154A has an elastic arm disposed at the lock. The rattling of the lever is suppressed by a force imparted by elastic deformation of the elastic arm pressing the lever toward the unmated position. In the structure disclosed in JP 2013-26154A, however, the reaction force from the elastic arm is large in order to reliably suppress the rattling of the lever. When the mated mating connector must be unmated from the disclosed connector, and the locked lever unlocked from the locked state, the reaction force from the elastic arm is increased and a stronger force for unlocking the lever is required. Connectors known in the prior art do not adequately balance the secure suppression of the rattling and an appropriate force required for unlocking the lever.